Double shadows under the moon
"That's not difficult. As long as you allow me, I can just dress up as a man." Yuanli's eyes were full of expectation. She looked at him eagerly, waiting for his response. The hand under the table quietly took Qi Heng's wide sleeve and shook it gently. She said softly, "Take me with you, please..."
After a brief stalemate, Qi Heng finally compromised and said, "Follow me closely, and do not look or listen to anything indecent. Can you do it?"
"able."
"I'll only wait for a cup of tea. Go quickly."
After getting permission, Yuanli stood up happily, but suddenly stopped when she stepped out of the door.
Her own men's clothes were still in Jiwang Valley and she had not brought them to the imperial capital at all. It was impossible to find them now in such an urgent situation.
Yuanli's back was filled with disappointment and loneliness. She slowly turned around and said dejectedly, "Young Master..."
Before he could finish his words, Qi Heng stood up and said, "Follow me."
Yuanli followed Qi Heng closely and entered the wardrobe at the deepest part of his bedroom, where an exquisite little silver lock was hanging.
Qi Heng reached behind the wardrobe and heard the sound of stone tiles rubbing against each other. After groping for a while, there was a key in Qi Heng's retracted hand.
When I opened the wardrobe, I saw clothes for different age groups hanging inside. The materials and craftsmanship were extremely exquisite, and they were arranged in an orderly manner from childhood to adulthood.
Look at the style and color of the clothes. They don't look like what Qi Heng usually wears. Instead, they look more like the clothes of a favored young master from a powerful family in the imperial capital.
"Pick the one you like." After saying that, without waiting for Yuanli to ask any more questions, Qi Heng left the room at the speed of wind.
The clothes exuded the elegant fragrance of peach blossoms, and even the wardrobe was pickled with flavor, emitting a pleasant aroma, without any trace of the gray mold smell of long-stored objects.
Since he had kept it with a small lock and carefully maintained it, it must be a treasure he cherished very much. Yuanli moved more carefully and picked out a suitable piece of clothing to put on.
After changing her clothes, Yuanli skillfully tied up the hair crown that Wen Yici used to wear.
In front of the bronze mirror, Yuanli was very satisfied.
"I'm done changing, can we go?"
Hearing this, they both turned around and stared in amazement. Qi Heng, in particular, looked her over from head to toe.
"That's right. Not to mention the girls in Yanliu Lane, if I were a woman, I would definitely look at you a few more times. Your hair is tied up neatly and beautifully. Did your loved one teach you to do it?"
There was a hint of joking in Chu Xiao's tone when he joked about the second half of the sentence. Yuanli was hit by what she meant, but with outsiders present, she didn't know how to respond and was in a dilemma for a moment.
Yuanli quickly shifted her gaze elsewhere in an attempt to avoid the topic, but she caught a glimpse of Qi Heng staring at her as if he was watching a show, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.
Her face was burned red and hot by the scorching gaze, and she felt inexplicably guilty. Just when she was in trouble, the sound of the wooden stool rubbing against the ground reached her ears.
Qi Heng stood up and said, "Now that everything is packed, let's set off early."
After saying that, Qi Heng walked out of the door on his own. Yuanli knew that he was trying to help her out, so she quickly followed him.
The moonlight lengthened his figure, and her shadow slowly approached his side as she walked, until their shadows touched closely together.
Seeing Bi Jing, Yuanli moved to his side, raised her hand slightly, and her shadow grabbed his sleeve.
Seeing this, Yuanli's inner satisfaction reached its peak, and an irresistible smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
Halfway through the journey, Qi Heng suddenly slowed down his pace, leaned back a little, and let his hands hang down from his sleeves. When he looked at the shadows on the ground again, he saw that the two shadows under the moon were already holding hands intimately.
There was no carriage outside the mansion gate, only two unharnessed black-maned horses waiting.
Qi Heng jumped on his horse, reached out to her and pulled her into his arms to sit steadily. The horse was forced to stand still. He controlled the reins and hugged her tightly with his arms, causing her body to lean back unconsciously and stick close to him.
"I'll go slowly so I won't scare you. Don't be afraid."
The moonlight added a touch of gentleness to his features. A tingling sensation emanated from her chest as he spoke. Yuanli turned slightly to look at him and replied, "Well, thank you, Ah Heng."
Yuanli bravely looked him in the eye, condensing all her love into her affectionate eyes. The two of them were so close that they could see each other's outlines reflected in each other's eyes.
Qi Heng steered the horse forward. The bumps made her a little unstable. She could only hold the horse's belly to maintain her balance. Her body also stiffened unconsciously as she became nervous.
The person behind her suddenly moved close to her back, took her hand with his warm hands and held the reins together. The forearm holding the reins clamped her waist tightly and held her in his arms.
"If you're scared, just snuggle a little closer to me, and we'll be there soon."
The horse was galloping quite fast, and the night wind blew on her face, causing some pain. Her eyes were dry and she couldn't open them fully, so Yuanli had no choice but to turn her head and hide in his arms.
Perhaps in order to avoid the sight of the busy streets, Qi Heng chose a secluded road. The route was a little roundabout, so the horse could go faster and would not hurt anyone.
Qi Heng took a shortcut to the corner of Yanliu Lane and stopped his horse.
Behind him, Chu Xiao came up and complained, "Are you two in such a hurry to get married? It's fine if you've just changed your route and added more than half the distance, but you're running faster and faster. Are you trying to tire the horse to death or me?"
Qi Heng responded with a look, and Chu Xiao was immediately speechless.
In the Dali Temple, only Chu Xiao, the brother who grew up "wearing the same underwear", dared to speak to Qi Heng like this. The official rank of the two was only one level apart, but Chu Xiao had special respect for his brother.
Coming out from the darkness, they were quickly spotted by the sharp-eyed receptionist. Seeing that the three of them were dressed in luxurious clothes and Chu Xiao had a bulging purse hanging around his waist, they all tried their best to show off their looks.
The bolder madam brought her daughter and stretched out her hands to stop the man. Seeing that the fat sheep had been taken away by someone, other families quickly gathered around and came over.
In an instant, the scene became extremely chaotic.
Qi Heng was not happy, and the gloomy aura emanating from him was even stronger at this time.
It is precisely for this reason that many girls are deterred. Even if they muster up the courage to approach him, they will be forced back by his fierce gaze the moment they get close, and most of his dirty hands fall on Yuanli.
When the situation was out of control, a red hydrangea fell from the sky and landed steadily in Yuanli's arms.
She was a simple-minded person, even a little foolish. She held it tightly in her arms and asked, "Did the girl lose her red silk ball?"
Seeing the red hydrangea, the scene suddenly became quiet, leaving the three of them puzzled.
"It belongs to me."
Different from the artificial and husky voices of the brothel girls surrounding him, the voice of the woman who was speaking sounded more comfortable, with a touch of coolness and uniqueness, making people inexplicably want to see her true face.
Upon hearing the sound, the wall of people that had been blocking the way just now automatically made way for a gap.
Standing at the other end of the crowd was a woman with a stunning appearance, a small face, willow-shaped eyebrows, peach blossom eyes, and a cherry mouth. Every one of her facial features was just right.
She was dressed elegantly and behaved gracefully, without any vulgar makeup. Standing in this mundane world, she looked like a fairy who had fallen from the fairyland, appearing completely out of place.
It's a pity that such a beauty is tied up here.
"I'm here to greet you, sir. I've just got a batch of Huadiao wine from Suzhou. Would you like to drink with me?"
Picking flowers and flattering with greed is so disgusting.
Yuanli was not swayed by her beauty and agreed immediately, but waited quietly for Qi Heng's instructions.
Nianha did not rush them, but the crowd that gathered more and more began to get restless and talk a lot.
"Agree, you fool! You don't know what's good for you. That's a flower that ordinary people can't even see even a single one of her even if they spend a fortune. Now you're personally throwing the ball to choose a benefactor for such a thin bamboo pole, and you're still hesitant."
"Yes, if it were me, I would have followed Miss Nianhua to the Moon Viewing Terrace to make love."
"I haven't even entered the brothel to embrace a girl yet, why are you already dreaming? Do you think you are that useless third brother and that all the top courtesans can let you stay overnight?"
"No matter how useless he is, he is still the emperor's son..."
The conversation veered off topic, which was exactly what Yuanli wanted. She hadn't been sure who that useless third brother was until the second half of his sentence.
Yuanli turned back to exchange glances with Qi Heng, then turned back to her and said gently, "The Huadiao wine from Gusu must be excellent. It's a pity that my two dear friends are traveling with me, and I really can't leave them to enjoy the fun alone. I have to let Miss Nianhua down."
Before she could pretend to leave with regret, Nianhua immediately said sympathetically, "Sir, please stay. Since you are my dear friend, I will treat you well. How about we drink together?"
"Then I'm sorry to bother you."
"Although Wangyue Tower is small, it is a little deserted today. It is no problem to accommodate three distinguished guests. Why bother you so much? Please come in, sir."
Nianha approached and walked with her. Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, the three of them followed Nianha up to the Moon-Watching Tower.
Moon Watching Tower is well-deserved of its name, and is the best place for viewing the scenery in Yanliu Lane. Standing in front of the window of the tower and looking out, the countless flower kilns have become stars dotting the night sky.
The interior of the Moon Watching Tower has an atmosphere of literati and poets. The walls and screens are decorated with calligraphy and paintings, and many books for men to read are placed on the bookshelves.
Stepping onto the stairs to the top floor, Nianhua followed behind. As soon as they lifted the bead curtain, Qi Heng and Chu Xiao were stopped by Nianhua's maid.
Yuanli stopped and looked back at her in confusion, but Nianhua smiled calmly and said soothingly, "Young Master's friend will be accompanied by a top-notch girl from Yueyue Tower. You can rest assured."
From the corner of her eye, she saw the girl beside Qi Heng, her impressive cleavage almost touching his arm. Sparks of anger gathered in her heart, and Yuanli said dissatisfiedly, "Is this what you call drinking together?"
Facing her doubts and reluctance, Nianhua remained calm and composed. She whispered in her ear, "My lord, if you want to know anything, I will tell you everything once we reach the Moon Viewing Terrace."
As she raised her hand to pick up the flower, the gauze of her sleeve slipped slightly, and a tiny, inconspicuous white dot flashed by, but it lingered in Yuanli's mind.
Yuanli threw away the distracting thoughts in his mind, replaced them with the rogue look that could be seen everywhere in Yanliu Lane, grabbed her wrist and stepped onto the stairs, his fingers not forgetting to caress her gently.
"The girl who picked up the flower has such tender hands."
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